Curtain-rod fixture.



L. K. BRIGHAM. CURTAIN ROD FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1909.

Patented Sept.28,1909.

LOUIS K. BRIGHAM, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURTAIN-ROD FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

Application filed May 8, 1909. Serial No. 494,875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs K. BBIGHAM, citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Curtain-Rod Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Metallic rods which are used for drapery curtains are usually supported by metallic brackets attached'to the wall or to the window-casing, a bracket being employed for each end of the rod, the brackets being formed with a barrel to receive the end of the rod, and the outer end of the barrel being closed by a removable plug. Usually the barrel of the bracket and the plug are screwthreaded so that the plug may be screwed into the outer end of the barrel. The plug of at least one of the brackets has to be removed in order to insert the rod, and then the plug is fitted or screwed into the barrel to prevent the rod from slipping out and also to give a finished appearance to the bracket or to the end of the rod. It is a cause of common complaint that the thread of the plug does not readily engage with the thread of the bracket, making it difficult to insert from an elevated position, and also that the plug becomes accidentally loosened and drops out of the bracket. Even if taken out intentionally as in removing or inserting the rod, it is in convenient to keep track of it, and if the bracket is set up so high that a step ladder oi. the like has to be used in setting up the fixtures or putting up the rod, it is specially inconvenient to have the-plug detachable.

The object of the present invention is to combine the plug with a bracket in such manner that there is no possibility of its ever becoming detached and yet that it may be readily moved so as to insert it into the barrel or to remove it therefrom whenever desired, the plug being so constructed as to be easily operated by any one; and also to provide means for securing it in the barrel against accidental displacement without the use of av screw thread;

The invention will be fully understood. from the following description taken 1n con curtain rod held in brackets embodying my invention, the plugs being closed. Fig. 2 is a. plan showing one of the plugs swung open and the rod partly removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a modified form of bracket, Fig. 5 being a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings :1 represents the barrel of the bracket which is bifurcated longitudinally on one side and formed with two laterally extending portions 2, 2, on either side of the slit which together form the shank, and these two laterally extending portions terminate in ears 3, 3, extending at right angles to the shank members 2, one of the said ears extending vertically upward, and the other vertically downward in the same plane, so that the two ears together form a wall plate or flat surface to come in contact with the wall to which the bracket is secured. These ears 3, 3, are formed with holes 4, 4, to enable the bracket to be secured to the wall by pins or screws. The bracket thus formed may be either cast or formed out of a plate of maleable metal by bending. The two shank portions 2, 2, are spaced slightly apart.

The plug 5 is adapted to fit within the end of the barrel 1, being formed with a head 6 preferably of some ornamental design and is provided with a swinging arm or blade 7 extending laterally from the inner end of the plug and adapted to extend between the two shank members 2, 2, of the bracket. The blade 7 is pivoted as by a pivot 8 between said two shank members so that the said blade can turn on its pivot, and the plug may be swung around into position to be inserted in the barrel or swung back so as to be withdrawn from the barrel.

Suitable means should be provided to hold the blade against being accidentally turned on its pivot and thereby releasing the plug after the plug is inserted in the barrel. The preferred means which I employ as being simple and inexpensive as well as effective is to form the blades 7 with a hole 9 and to form at least one of the shank members 2 with an inwardly extendingsmall protuberance or upset 10 which, when the blade is pushed in between the shank members and the plug is inserted, will snap into said hole 9, the shank members having sufficient springiness so that they will spread to allow the blade to be forced in between them until close the outer end of the barrel,

the said hole comes into alinement with said upset when the shank will spring back and the upset will snap into the hole. WVhen desired to open the bracket, the blade may be swung in the reverse direction by a slight force applied to the plug. The protuberance 10 may readily be made by striking it up by means of a dull pointed instrument forcibly driven against the outer face of the shank in well known manner.

In operation, when it is desired to insert the curtain rod, both brackets being .previously attached to the casing in proper places, the plug of one of the brackets is swung back as shown in Fig. 2, so that the rod can be passed through the barrel of that bracket and entered into the barrel of the other bracket far enough to bring it up against the plug of said other bracket which is already closed. The open plug of the first bracket is then swung around to close it into the barrel as shown in Fig. 1, and is securely held in this position by the engagement of the protuberance 10 in the blade hole '9. Whenever it is desired to remove the rod, the plug may be withdrawn by a slight pull by taking hold of the head of the plug and the rod can then be slipped out endwise.

in the modification shown in Figs. 1, and 6 instead of having the plug attached to a blade pivoted between the two members of the shank portion of the bracket, a portion of the bracket itself is made to swing and the plug is attached to the swinging portion of the bracket. The way I accomplish this is as follows :Referring to Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the upper shank member 11 has a recess 12 fin-med by cutting out a portion thereof and the blade 13 is fitted into the place of the cutout portion and is pivoted at let directly to the lower shank portion 15 and the plug 5 is-attac'hed to this pivoted blade portion 13 so as to swing with the pivoted blade portion 13 as shown in Fig. 6. The swinging portion is formed with an upset 16 which engages with a hole 17 in the lower shank member 15. The two shankmembers 1-1 and 15 are secured together by a rivet 18.

I claim as my invention 1. A curtain rod lixture comprising a bracket having a barrel. adapted to receive one end of the rod, and a plug adapted to said plug having a laterally extending arm hinged to said bracket on a pivot at right angles with the axis of the rod whereby the plug maybe swung in a plane parallel with the axis of the rod out of engagement with the barrel and supported in its disengaged position.

2. A curtain rod fixture comprising a tubular barrel adapted to receive one end of the rod, a wall plate, a shank connecting the barrel with the wall plate, a swinging arm the rod and a plug attached to the other end of the swinging arm and adapted to close the outer end of the barrel, said blade being adapted to swing in a plane parallel with the axis of the rod to disengage the plug from the barrel.

A curtain rod fixture comprising a tubular ba-rrel adapted to receive one end of the rod, a base, a bifurcated shank -c nnecl ing the barrel with the base, a swinging blade pivoted atone end between the two members ofthe shank, a plug attached to the other end of the blade and adapted to close the outer end of the barrel, said blade being adapted to swing laterally on its pivot to disengage the plug from thebarrel and to be swung back between the members of the shank to engage the plug with the end of the barrel.

4-. A curtain rod fixture c(-)niprising a tubular barrel adapted to receive one end of the rod, a base, a bifurcated shank connecting the barrel with the base, a swinging blade pivoted at one end between the two men'ibers of the shank, a plug attached to the other end of the blade and adapted to close the outer end of the barrel, said blade being adapted to swing laterally on its pivot to disengage :the plug from the barrel and to be swung back between the members of the shank to engage the plug with the end of the barrel, said blade and shank being formed with interlocking portions for binding the plug carrying blade to the shank members when in its closed position.

A curtain rod fixture con'lprising a tubular barrel adapted to receive one end of the rod, a base, a bifurcated shank connecting the barrel with the base, a swinging blade pivoted at one end between the two members of the shank, a plug attached to the other end of the blade and adapted to close the outer end of the barrel, said blade being adapted to swing laterally on its pivot to disengage the plug from the barrel and to be swung back between the members of the shank to engage the plug with the end of the barrel, the said blade being forn'ied with a projection thereon and said shank. being formed with a hole with which said projer tion is adapted to engage to bind the blade in its closed position.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature. in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS K. BRIGHAM.

lVitnesses *WILLIAM A. COPELAND, NA'IIIAN B. DAY. 

